But Buchanan calmed any concerns or nerves by throwing five scoreless innings to help the Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-3.

Buchanan’s teammates were extremely happy with his effort, considering the fact he was released by the Houston Astros’ organization on March 31 and settling for a minor league deal at Triple-A Iowa a few weeks later.

This marked Buchanan’s first major league start since July 31, 2014, at Toronto.

But Buchanan possessed exceptional control and pitched at a brisk tempo to the delight of everyone.

“It’s big,” Zobrist said of Buchanan, 26, who was 12-8 with a 4.34 ERA at Triple-A Iowa. “It says a lot about him and all our guys.”

The Cubs have received 8 2/3 innings of four-hit ball from rookie left-hander Rob Zastryzny and Buchanan in their past two games while aligning their rotation for the National League Division Series.

“(Buchanan) did a phenomenal job of doing what they asked him to do,” Zobrist said. “And beyond what he’d done in a long time.”

Buchanan, making his 24th major-league appearance, walked one while striking out three in a 66-pitch outing.

“I trusted Miggy (catcher Miguel Montero) and went with his game plan,” Buchanan said.

It’s uncertain where Buchanan fits next spring, but he was happy to make a favorable impression.

“From the way (the season) started, getting released and signing to get back to the big leagues, it’s on the way up and I can build on that,” Buchanan said.